Method of erecting a concrete form



Sept. 15, 1964 Filed Jan. 15, 1962 C. H. STARK METHOD OF ERECTING ACONCRETE FORM 2 Sheets$heet 1 Sept. 15, 1964 c. H. STARK 3,148,444

METHOD OF ERECTING A CONCRETE FORM Filed Jan. 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENT OR.

was H STARK 4'. Elba! 4,4581% United States Patent 3,148,444 METHGD OFERECTING A CONCRETE FORM Charles H. Stark, Watervilie, Ghio, assignor toGWBES- Illinois Glass Company a corporation of Ghio Filed Jan. 15, 1962,Ser. No. 166,010 Claims. (Cl. 29-455) This invention relates to a methodof erecting a concrete form, and more particularly to a method oferecting or fabricating a paperboard concrete form.

Concrete structures such as concrete floors, for example, are formed byplacing a number of inverted steel pans on temporary flooring, e.g., aplywood deck, and then pouring concrete over the steel pans. The steelpans serve as void forms to create voids in the concrete when theconcrete is poured, and are arranged on the temporary flooring in spacedapart relation to define channels into which the concrete is poured toform beams and the like. After the concrete has hardened, the temporaryflooring and pans are removed to leave a concrete floor whoseundersurface has a wafile-like appearance. It has been found desirableto use paperboard shells with internal reinforcing as concrete voidforms. Paperboard void forms offer several substantial advantages, suchas low initial cost and ease of handling.

This invention is directed primarily to the provision of a method oferecting or fabricating paperboard concrete void forms on the job; thatis, at the location where the concrete is to be poured. This inventionhas for an important object the provision of a novel method offabricating paperboard concrete forms so that forms of a great varietyof cross-sectional shapes may be formed from one basic system. A varietyof paperboard concrete forms having different cross-sectional shapes isdesirable when the undersurface of the floor is left exposed to form alacunar. A great Variety of cross-sectional shapes allows the architectto assemble the void forms in pleasing geometrical formations whilestill retaining the required structural utility of the floor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method oferecting or fabricating paperboard concrete formations which istimesaving and inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein is set forth, by way of illustration and example, thepreferred embodiment of this invention.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 through 3 show perspective views of the steps performed inassembling a void form by the method of this invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a series of void forms arranged ona plane surface.

In the practice of the method of this invention, temporary flooring 10,for example, a plywood deck, is constructed in the conventional mannerto provide a plane surface. A series of bottom pads 11 are arranged onthe temporary flooring in the desired pattern usually in uniform spacedapart relationship from each other. See FIG. 4. The bottom pad 11 ispreferably formed from sheet-like material, such as corrugatedpaperboard. The perirneter 12 of the pad 11 is shaped or contoured toconform to the desired cross-sectional configuration of the void form F.The pad 11 serves as a guide in the formation of the side wall of thevoid form P, which will be described hereinafter, and can be of anygeometrical shape, such as any polygonal configuration, circle, ellipse,or any geometriccal figure composed of straight line and arcuate sides.The bottom pad 11, as illustrated, has an octagonal configuration.Referring to FIG. 1, the bottom pad 11 is secured to the temporaryflooring 19 by means of staples 13 located in the central portion3,148,444: Fatented Sept. 15, 1964 of the pad so as to leave themarginal portions of the pad free.

The next element used in assembling a void form by the method of thisinvention is a side wall member 14, which is preferably formed offoldable sheet-like material, such as corrugated paperboard. The sidewall member 14 has foldably attached to its upper and lower free edgestrapezoidal shaped tabs 15 and 16, respectively. The side wall member 14has a length equal to the perimeter of the pad 11 and is divided intoeight uniform side panels 14a by longitudinal score lines 17. Each sidewall panel 14a corresponds to a side edge of the bottom pad 11.

The side wall member 14 is assembled by folding one of the tabs 16normal to its associate side wall panel 14a and tucking it between thepad 11 and the temporary flooring 16. A staple 19 is then driven throughthe pad 11 into the flooring 10 in the area of the tab 16 to secure thetab in place. The remaining side wall panels are then folded around thepad 11, with the tabs 16 being tucked between the flooring and the pad11 until a continuous upstanding side wall or sleeve is formed for thevoid form. The side wall or sleeve, which is open at its upper end, hasa cross-sectional configuration corresponding to the perimeter of thepad 11. The end side wall panels of the side wall member 14 are securedtogether by a length of pressure sensitive adhesive tape T.

After the side wall member 14 has been assembled into an upstandingsleeve, and secured relative to the flooring, internal reinforcingmembers are placed within the sleeve. The preferred reinforcing memberis a partition grid G, although it is to be understood that reinforcingmembers of a great variety of shapes can be formed and are well known inthe art. They serve the function of providing longitudinal and lateralsupport to the void form to allow it to withstand the pressure of theconcrete. Partition grids G comprise strips of corrugated paperboardthat are transversely slotted at uniform intervals along their lengthsand then telescoped together to form a grid-like configuration. Thesepartition grids are well known in the art and are commonly used for thepurpose of forming cells to keep articles separated within a container.The partition grids G are separated from one another by pads 20. Thestacked partition grids G extend vertical from the bottom pad 11 to thetop free edge of the side wall member 14. The individual strip ofpaperboard that forms a partition grid extends laterally to the sidewall panels 14a. After the partition grids G are in place the tabs 15are inwardly folded normal to the side wall panels 14 to overlie thepartition grids. A central panel 22 is then placed on the top partitiongrid and within the ends of the tabs 15. The central panel 22 serves tomaintain a uniform height within the void form. A top panel or pad 23,which is substantially identical to the bottom pad 11, is then placed onthe tabs 15 and central panel 22. The top panel or pad 23 is secured tothe side wall member 14 by means of pressure sensitive adhesive tape T.The void form F is thus assembled and is ready for the pouring of theconcrete.

The paperboard used for the elements of the void form used herein arepreferably coated on their exterior surfaces with a thin film ofpolyethylene to increase their resistance to water.

It is to be noted that while the void form described herein has anoctagonal cross-sectional configuration, void forms of any desiredcross-sectional configuration may be formed by the method of thisinvention. The cross-sectional shape of the void form is determined bythe configuration of the pad 11. For example, when the bottom pad hasstraight edges, such as in the present embodiment, the side wall member14 is scored to provide panels having a width equal to each side edge.When the contour of the bottom pad is arcuate the sleeve 14 can be leftunscored and merely folded about the pad to conform to the arcuate shapeof the bottom pad, and secured in place in the same manner as previouslydescribed.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be modified through a wide range without departing from theprinciples of this invention, and it is not, therefore, the purpose tolimit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Method of forming a concrete form, which comprises, securing to aplane surface a pad having a perimeter corresponding to thecross-sectional shape of said form, surrounding said pad with anupstanding side wall defining an open ended sleeve, securing said sideWall relative to said plane surface, reinforcing the interior of saidsleeve, and sealing the upper open end of said sleeve.

2. Method of forming a concrete void form, which comprises, securing toa plane surface a bottom pad having a perimeter corresponding to thecross-sectional shape of said void form, closely surrounding said padwith a continuous upstanding side wall to form an upstanding sleevedefining an opening corresponding to the perimeter of said pad, securingsaid sleeve relative to said plane surface, placing a series of loadbearing members within said sleeve to a height substantially equal tothe height of said sleeve, and closing the upper open end of saidsleeve.

3. Method of forming a concrete void form, which comprises, securing toa plane surface a bottom pad having a perimeter corresponding to thecross-sectional shape of said void form, completely encircling said padwith an upstanding side wall, said side wall being placed in contiguousrelation with the perimeter of said pad to form an upstanding sleevehaving a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the perimeter of saidpad, securing said sleeve relative to said pad and plane surface,stacking a plurality of partition grids within said sleeve to a heightsubstantially flush with the top of said sleeve, covering said gridswith a panel similar to said pad and securing said panel to said sleeve.

4. Method of forming a concrete void form, which comprises, securing toa plane surface a bottom pad having a perimeter corresponding to thecross-sectional shape of said void form to prevent relative lateralmovement between said surface and pad, completely encircling said padwith an upstanding side wall, said side wall being contiguous with theperimeter of said pad whereby said side wall defines a sleeve having across-sectional shape corresponding to the perimeter of said pad, aplurality of tabs foldably attached to the lower free edge of said sidewall, tucking said tabs between said pad and plane surface to preventrelative lateral movement between the side wall and plane surface andsecuring said tabs to said plane surface, stacking a plurality ofpartition grids within said side wall to a vertical height equal to theheight of said side wall, covering said grids with a panel similar tosaid pad, and taping said panel and sleeve together.

5. Method of erecting concrete void forms, which comprises: arranging ona planar, load supporting surface in a predetermined pattern, aplurality of planar pads having a peripheral configuration similar tothe desired cross section of said void forms; securing said pads to saidsurface to prevent relative lateral movement therebetween; completelyand closely encircling said pad with an upstanding side wall to form anupstanding sleeve; securing said sleeve relative to said pad and planarsurface; stacking a plurality of partition grids within said sleeve to aheight substantially flush with the top of said sleeve to form a loadbearing element extending to the top of said sleeve; and enclosing theupper end of said sleeve to complete said void form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,472,211 Gallistel Oct. 20, 1923 2,077,173 Holy Apr. 13, 1937 2,151,761Hartman Mar. 28, 1939 2,341,374 Gardiner Feb. 8, 1944 2,881,501 RaneyApr. 14, 1959 3,024,513 Shuxteau et al. Mar. 13, 1962

1. METHOD OF FORMING A CONCRETE FORM, WHICH COMPRISES, SECURING TO APLANE SURFACE A PAD HAVING A PERIMETER CORRESPONDING TO THECROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE OF SAID FORM, SURROUNDING SAID PAD WITH ANUPSTANDING SIDE WALL DEFINING AN OPEN ENDED SLEEVE, SECURING SAID SIDEWALL RELATIVE TO SAID PLANE SURFACE, REINFORCING THE INTERIOR OF SAIDSLEEVE, AND SEALING THE UPPER OPEN END OF SAID SLEEVE.